ROME — In comments on Sunday that could have broad implications in a period of intense religious conflict, Pope Benedict XVI cast doubt on the possibility of interfaith dialogue but called for more discussion of the practical consequences of religious differences. The pope’s comments came in a letter he wrote to Marcello Pera, an Italian center-right politician and scholar whose …

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 21, 2008 (Zenit.org) – Despite misleading reports by the Italian media on remarks made about Islam during the world Synod of Bishops, a Catholic-Muslim meeting planned for next month is going forward. Articles in the Italian press last weekend took comments from a synodal working group out of context regarding certain facets of Islam, making it sound …

Christian communities should improve their knowledge of Islam, be good neighbours to Muslims and bear witness to their faith in an appropriate manner, according to an international group of church leaders and experts on Christian-Muslim dialogue. These were some of the recommendations put forward at an 18 to 20 October consultation aimed at developing an ecumenical Christian theological understanding of …

The first meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum took place in Vatican City from November 4th through 6th. Two delegations — one Muslim, one Catholic — each consisting of 29 religious experts and leaders, attended. Among them was the head of the Islamic community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grand Mufti Mustafa Efendija Ceric. The forum’s creators were the Pontifical Council for …

At least three interfaith conferences have been held during the last two years; and exhortations for harmony among religions by the world leaders, intellectuals and scholars have not gone beyond noble sentiments. In July, Saudi King Abdullah while opening an Interfaith Conference in Madrid had said, “Most of the dialogue between religions has ended in failure.” The fate of the …

People in the Muslim world feel a sense of anger and injustice, a leading Islamic intellectual said yesterday on the heels of a historic meeting between the Pope Benedict XVI and Muslim scholars. Sheikh al Habib Ali al Jifri, the founder of the Tabah Foundation, the privately funded research institute in Abu Dhabi, said western policies and pronouncements in some …

A recent forum at the Vatican designed to foster interfaith communication is the kind of thing local followers have been doing for years. World Roman Catholic and Muslim leaders made headlines this month when they met in a first-of-its-kind interfaith forum at the Vatican. Locally, some faithful saw the forum not as something new but as an affirmation of efforts …

It was rather rich to see Saudi Arabia sponsoring a United Nations conference last week on religious tolerance. This from an Islamic nation that maintains a national police force to enforce strict Wahhabi orthodoxy. As one dissident Saudi Shiite Muslim put it, that’s like having a U.N. conference on racial harmony put on by apartheid-era South Africa. Saudi Arabia is …

MANILA, Philippines – Despite Malacañang’s insistence it is not necessary, Pope Benedict XVI will act on an appeal by a Moro group to help bring peace to conflict-hit Mindanao. The assurance came from Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, who said the Pope will do these things in a “confidential manner.” “The Pope does things in a low-profile way about situations in …

At the urging of the king of Saudi Arabia, Moslem religious leaders and scholars met recently with their Christian counterparts to discuss how to ease religious violence between Moslems and Christians. This Vatican conference ended with Moslems trying to dodge the religious freedom issue by saying that it’s a matter of state policy. This may backfire on Moslem authorities, as …

There are two important Abdullahs in the Arab world – one is the king of Saudi Arabia and the other of Jordan. Both are orchestrating two unprecedented interfaith dialogues. One of those historic initiatives is taking place at the United Nations in New York and ends tonight. The two kings are conducting the outreach separately, for their own reasons. The …

There are two important Abdullahs in the Arab world – one is the king of Saudi Arabia and the other of Jordan. Both are orchestrating two unprecedented interfaith dialogues. One of those historic initiatives is taking place at the United Nations in New York and ends tonight. The two kings are conducting the outreach separately, for their own reasons. The …

A historic step was taken in Rome last week. The first seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum was held on Nov. 4-6 at the Vatican with the participation of about 60 Muslim and Catholic religious leaders and scholars from around the world. The participants discussed the love of God, love of the neighbor, human dignity and mutual respect in the two …

Saudi Arabia is sponsoring a two-day United Nations conference in New York to promote interfaith dialogue to improve the image of Islam as a religion that favours dialogue over violence. The conference, which begins on Wednesday, is seen as part of the Saudi monarch’s efforts to promote a more moderate brand of Islam in a kingdom that has been accused …

The gathering follows a successful Muslim-Catholic forum at the Vatican. The global effort to build a “culture of peace” among Christians and Muslims and other faiths is gaining some momentum this month, both symbolically and substantively. After a groundbreaking meeting between Roman Catholic and Muslim religious leaders last week, world political leaders this week are meeting to heighten the visibility …

Those who are smirking about President Gloria Arroyo’s attendance of the Special United Nations General Assembly on Interfaith Dialogue to discuss the “Culture of Peace” should realize the event’s importance. The Philippines is the first country to endorse this worthy undertaking to the United Nations after it was started by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, who has …

The gathering follows a successful Muslim-Catholic forum at the Vatican. The global effort to build a “culture of peace” among Christians and Muslims and other faiths is gaining some momentum this month, both symbolically and substantively. After a groundbreaking meeting between Roman Catholic and Muslim religious leaders last week, world political leaders this week are meeting to heighten the visibility …

The first meeting at the Vatican of a Roman Catholic-Muslim Forum has affirmed the right of individuals and communities to practise their religion in private and in public, while also rejecting terrorism in the name of religion – writes Luigi Sandri. “Genuine love of neighbour implies respect of the person and her or his choices in matters of conscience and …

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – There are now so many efforts to improve relations between Christians and Muslims that they risk overlapping and creating confusion, the Vatican’s top official for interfaith contacts says. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said a conference between Catholics and Muslims last week was a fresh bid for mutual understanding that …

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said a conference between Catholics and Muslims last week was a fresh bid for mutual understanding that could become a “favoured channel” for the Vatican. But there is now so much interest in Christian-Muslim dialogue that it is getting hard to see where it is going, said Tauran, who …

The first Catholic-Islamic Forum, which ended two days ago in the Vatican, issued a statement condemning persecution, violence and all forms of terrorism, particularly terrorism in the name of religion. The statement highlights the importance of freedom of beliefs and calls for mutual commitment to create a fairer world, which respects people’s right to practice their religions in private and …

Hindus have lauded the groundbreaking three-day dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, which concluded at Vatican City on Thursday, and called it a “step in the right direction”. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was wonderful to watch the world’s two major religions coming together and opening a new chapter of understanding, …

Religious persecution is not acceptable, Pope Benedict XVI said Friday following a historic meeting between top Catholic and Muslim leaders.  While the three days of Christian-Muslim dialogue focused on encouraging better relations between the world’s two largest religions, the head of the one billion-member Catholic Church stated Friday that individuals should have the right to practice their own faith without …

VATICAN CITY: Catholics and Muslims must show the common belief that we are members of one family loved by God our Creator, and uphold the dignity of every human person, says Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this today when he received in audience the members of the newly formed Catholic-Muslim Forum at the conclusion of its three-day seminar. The forum …

Religious leaders and scholars from the Islamic world will meet the Pope for an unprecedented audience in November it was announced yesterday after a historic summit between Vatican prelates and their Muslim counterparts. For two days senior Catholics and Muslims prepared for the autumn encounter. Participants confirmed that 24 representatives from each faith would take part in the inaugural seminar …

Developments in Christian-Muslim talks should be shared with the faithful, and not restricted to the experts, Pope Benedict has said. Earlier this week Benedict XVI received participants in the First Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum. The event has been organised by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and by the 138 Muslim representatives who, on October 13, 2007, sent an …

My report yesterday that Archbishop Gregory of Atlanta had suggested there could be a “black Pope” in the wake of Barack Obama’s election as the first African-American President seems to have created a bit of a stir. Some readers pointed out that there has already been a serious black contender for Pope: Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, currently Prefect of …

The Jesuit Samir Khalil, an expert on Islam and among the participants at the Forum in the Vatican, tells of the paths and hopes created by the meeting. Some difficulties on religious freedom. The common challenge of secularism. Muslims ask for Christians help to counter Islamaphobia. Vatican City (AsiaNews) – After many years of difficulty, what took place in the …

The Catholic-Muslim forum in Rome has put relations between the faiths on a new footing It is hard to imagine a more promising context for talks between Muslims and Christians than a week in which Americans elected as their president a Christian with Muslim relatives who once attended a predominantly Muslim school. As three days of talks in and around …

Pope Benedict XVI has called on Christians and Muslims to overcome their misunderstandings, urging more cooperation between both faiths. “There is a great and vast field in which we can act together in defending and promoting the moral values which are part of our common heritage,” the Pope addressed the gathering of Catholic and Muslim scholars at the Vatican Thursday. …

ROME Pope Benedict XVI climaxed an unprecedented Muslim-Christian conference of clergy and scholars in the Vatican yesterday by urging both religions to defend common values, and he called for greater freedom of worship for non-Muslims in the Islamic world. “Dear friends, let us unite our efforts, animated by good will, in order to overcome all misunderstanding and disagreements,” the German-born …

VATICAN CITY // An historic meeting between Muslim and Roman Catholic scholars at the Vatican concluded yesterday with a joint declaration calling for an end to violence in the name of religion, respect for both faiths and a commitment to help solve international crises together. The religious leaders agreed to meet again in two years in a Muslim country and …

CAIRO — Concluding a landmark inter-faith talks at the Vatican, Catholic and Muslim scholars called on Thursday, November 6, for an ethical financial system, religious freedom and a violence-free world. “We call upon believers to work for an ethical financial system in which the regulatory mechanisms consider the situation of the poor and disadvantaged, both as individuals and as indebted …

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org) – Here is the address Benedict XVI gave today upon receiving in audience participants from the first meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum. * * * Dear Friends, I am pleased to receive you this morning and I greet all of you most cordially. I thank especially Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran as well as Shaykh Mustafa …

Pope Benedict XVI would meet Muslim religious leaders and scholars later this year as part of a push for dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, the Vatican said yesterday. The occasion for the meeting will be a November 4-6 seminar in Rome. Two dozen leaders and scholars from each side will participate in the Catholic-Muslim forum. Church officials have said such …

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Christians and Muslims must overcome their misunderstandings, Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim clergy and scholars Thursday as he pressed for greater freedom of worship for non-Muslims in the Islamic world. His meeting in the Apostolic Palace with a delegation of scholars and other Muslim representatives capped a three-day conference in Rome involving Catholic clergy and professors …

VATICAN CITY — Catholic and Muslim leaders worked on Thursday to deflate suspicion between their two faiths, pledging at a high-level seminar here to work together to condemn terrorism, protect religious freedom and fight poverty. The meeting came a year after 138 Muslim leaders wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI after he offended many Muslims by quoting a Byzantine …

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 6, 2008 (Zenit.org) – Catholics and Muslims agree that youth must be formed in their own religious traditions and correctly educated about other religions, to give witness to transcendent values in a secular society. The recently established Catholic-Muslim Forum affirmed this in a joint declaration released today, the result of their first seminar, which began Tuesday. The …

The first forum between Muslim and Catholic officials at the Vatican aim to defuse tensions between the world’s two biggest faiths. The Pope said “each individual’s… freedom of religion” must be safeguarded, stressing that religious persecution was “unacceptable”. There was outrage in 2006 when the Pope linked Muslims to violence in the past. He apologised for those remarks, saying he …

Rome, 6 Nov. (AKI) – Muslims involved in landmark talks this week with Catholic officials at the Vatican say the talks have achieved results. “We are satisfied with the results of the Catholic-Muslim Forum, especially the creation of a permanent interreligious committee to prevent and resolve conflict,” said the president of Italy’s Association of Muslim Intellectuals and representative of Rome’s …

VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Muslims and Catholics on Thursday issued a joint call for religious freedom, non-violence and a fairer world after landmark inter-faith talks at the Vatican. The three-day forum was “one more step along the way towards greater understanding between Muslims and Christians,” Pope Benedict XVI said of the gathering, two years after he sparked Muslim outrage with …

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Professing faith in one God, the creator of all humanity, obliges Catholics and Muslims to respect one another and to work together to defend human rights and help those who are suffering, Pope Benedict XVI said. The commandments of love of God and love of neighbor are at “the heart of Islam and Christianity alike” and …

Vatican City, Nov 6, 2008 / 11:37 am (CNA) – The inaugural Catholic-Muslim Forum reached its culmination today with Pope Benedict XVI emphasizing that “only by starting with the recognition of the centrality of the person and the dignity of each human being” will Catholics and Muslims find common ground for building a “more fraternal world.” The three day historic …

Benedict XVI stresses the urgency for dialogue to strengthen religions’ credibility. He calls on political and religious leaders to ensure religious freedom for everyone and slams violence perpetrated in “the name of God.” Christians and Muslims must be open to working together on the value of life and help people in need to build peace and destroy “the devastating power …

The document that concludes the first forum organized by the pontifical council for interreligious dialogue and by representatives of 138 Muslim scholars, authors of the letter entitled ‘A Common Word.’ Vatican City (AsiaNews) – An important and demanding declaration was published today by the Vatican and by representatives of the 138 Muslim scholars who wrote the well-known letter to the …

Catholic and Muslim scholars at an unprecedented Vatican forum have vowed to work together to strengthen protections for religious minorities. In a 15-point joint declaration, 58 scholars and leaders also agreed Thursday to work together to combat violence and terrorism – especially when carried out in the name of religion. Pope Benedict addressed the gathering earlier Thursday, on the third …

Vatican, Nov. 6, 2008 (CWNews.com) – Meeting on November 6 with participants in an unprecedented Catholic-Muslim encounter, Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) said that the keen public interest in the ‘Common Word’ initiative should be “an incentive for us to ensure that the reflections and the positive developments which emerge from Muslim-Christian dialogue are not limited to a small …

Rome – Top Muslim and Roman Catholic clerics and scholars wrapped up historic talks Thursday stressing in a declaration that the conference’s slogan of “love of God and love of neighbour” is also intended as an acceptance of individuals’ freedom to practice their religion of choice. Participants of the Catholic-Muslim Forum’s first seminar spelt out the results of their three …

Pope Benedict XVI has appealed to Muslims gathered for an historic meeting in the Vatican to join Christians in opposing violence “carried out in God’s name”. He said that although Muslims and Christians have “different approaches in matters regarding God, we can and must be worshippers of the one God who created us and is concerned about each person in …

Pope Benedict XVI has stressed the importance of religious freedom in an address to the Vatican’s first Catholic-Islam forum. “Political and religious leaders have the duty of ensuring … each individual’s freedom of conscience and freedom of religion,” Benedict said at the end of the three-day forum. “My hope … is that these fundamental human rights will be protected for …

Pope Benedict has urged Muslim religious leaders and scholars to join Christians in defending their common moral values. In an unprecedented Vatican audience, he said they should also promote their respect for human rights despite theological differences between them. The Pope made the call after receiving a 29-strong delegation representing global Islam who last year invited Christian churches to redouble …

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Christians and Muslims must overcome their misunderstandings, Pope Benedict XVI told Muslim clergy and scholars Thursday as he pressed for greater freedom of worship for non-Muslims in the Islamic world. His meeting in the Apostolic Palace with a delegation of scholars and other Muslim representatives capped a three-day conference in Rome involving Catholic clergy and professors …

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Catholic and Muslim leaders at unprecedented Vatican meetings vowed on Thursday to work together to combat violence and terrorism, especially when carried out in God’s name. At the end of three days of meetings, the 58 scholars and leaders — 29 from each side — issued a 15-point final joint declaration which also included an appeal …

A joint declaration issued at the end of the Vatican’s three-day Muslim-Catholic forum has called for recognition by both Muslims and Christians of the rights of women and freedom of conscience, and condemned terrorism in the name of religion. The statement, which Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told The Times “goes further than previous declarations”, said “We affirm that …

An appeal by 144 people calls on experts engaged in talks not to forget the difficult predicament in which Christians live. Often treated as “outsiders and outcastes”, they urgently demand protection for the right to change religion. Rome (AsiaNews) – A group of 144 Christians, including 77 Muslims who converted to Christianity, have launched an appeal to Muslim and Catholics …

Muslim and Christian scholars have gathered in Vatican to improve relations between the world’s largest faiths during a three-day forum. The first Catholic-Muslim Forum was launched on Tuesday to discuss the existing commonalities and differences between Islam and Christianity. The meeting is the third conference of Muslims with Christians after the July talks with the United States Protestants and the …

Roman Catholic and Muslim scholars and clerics have taken a historic step in their relations as the first Catholic-Muslim forum has opened at the Vatican with religious violence, human rights, and interpretation of sacred texts on the agenda. Along with Catholic scholars and prelates, representatives of Islam’s eight schools of thought and jurisprudence are taking part over two days in …

VATICAN CITY – In a bid to improve strained Catholic-Muslim relations, the Vatican is hosting scholars and clerics from both religions in a three-day religious conference.   The closed-door forum, which started Tuesday, includes 29 scholars and clerics from each religion and will culminate in a papal audience. The Vatican says the first day was dedicated to “spiritual and theological …

An appeal by 144 people calls on experts engaged in talks not to forget the difficult predicament in which Christians live. Often treated as “outsiders and outcastes”, they urgently demand protection for the right to change religion. Rome (AsiaNews) – A group of 144 Christians, including 77 Muslims who converted to Christianity, have launched an appeal to Muslim and Catholics …

Yesterday leading Vatican and Muslim scholars gathered for the first the Catholic-Muslim Forum, a new initiative founded to improve relations between Christianity and Islam. The aim of the three-day seminar, which ends tomorrow, is to discuss points of unity and division in Roman Catholicism and Islam. Interfaith relations hit an impasse two years ago following a speech by Pope Benedict …

The Vatican is hosting a group of Islamic scholars in the first Catholic-Muslim forum aimed at improving relations between the world’s two largest faiths. The three-day meeting comes two years after Pope Benedict upset the Muslim world with a speech in which he implied that Islam was violent and irrational. After that incident 38 Muslim scholars invited Christian churches to …

Muslim scholars are in Rome Monday for a landmark meeting with top Catholic officials. The Muslim scholars, who will meet Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican officials for a series of talks starting Tuesday, hope the three-day meeting will help defuse ongoing tensions between Islam and Christianity. “It is clear that the time has come to open debate on the common …

In interviews with Vatican Radio and La Croix, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, offered a preview of the Vatican-Muslim talks that are taking place in Rome from November 4 to 6. Participants will explain their Catholic and Muslim beliefs without engaging in formal theological dialogue. The 3-day talks involve 29 representatives of each side, …

A group of Muslim scholars, including a lecturer from Cambridge University, is to begin a three-day visit to the Vatican to discuss better understanding between Christianity and Islam. A total of 24 signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, a letter published last year by Islamic scholars, intellectuals and clerics, will assemble in Rome for the talks. Those …

Vatican City – Top Roman Catholic and Muslim clerics and scholars began Tuesday historic talks in Rome aimed at defusing tensions between Christianity and Islam. The talks are part of an initiative by moderate Muslim individuals and groups that began in the wake of the violent protests in the Islamic against the publication in a Danish newspaper in 2005 of …

Manila, 4 Nov. (AKI) – An Islamic group in the Philippines is urging Pope Benedict XVI to help end three decades of armed conflict in the southern province of Mindanao. In an open letter to the Pope, the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy said the ongoing conflict in Mindanao has exacerbated poverty and hampered development in the region. “We …

Vatican City (AHN) – A three-day historic Catholic-Muslim summit will open Tuesday in Vatican City. To attend the talks are 48 religious leaders and scholars from the two faiths or 24 representatives each. Leading the Catholic side is Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, while the Muslims will be headed by Mustafa Ceric, the Grand Mufti of Bosnia. According to Cardinal Tauran, the …

The Vatican is hosting an event today involving the first Catholic-Muslim Forum. The idea is to cultivate a better relationship between the two religions. A moment of silence was observed at the beginning of the talks so that the Roman Catholic and Muslim groups could say their own prayers to achieve their goals. One delegate described that atmosphere as very …

Historic discussions to advance interfaith relations (ANSA) – Vatican City, November 4 – A historic series of talks between prominent Muslim and Catholic scholars got under way in the Vatican on Tuesday. The two days of discussions, to be capped off by a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, are focusing on ways to ease religious tensions and advance …

Washington, 4 November (IranVNC)—The first Catholic-Muslim forum was launched today in Rome as senior Vatican and Islamic scholars met with the intention of improving relations between the world’s two predominant religions, Reuters reports. CATHOLICS – MUSLIMS – MEETINGS – VATICAN Washington, 4 November (IranVNC)—The first Catholic-Muslim forum was launched today in Rome as senior Vatican and Islamic scholars met with …

(04 Nov 08 – RV) The first day of a three day meeting between a delegation of Catholic and Muslim scholars here at the Vatican ended today. The theme of the encounter is “love of God love of neighbour”, chosen from the contents of last year’s letter addressed to Pope Benedict XVI by 138 Muslim scholars. The meeting will conclude …

VATICAN CITY, Nov. 4 (UPI) — Leading Muslim scholars are at the Vatican for talks aimed at improving relations between the Islamic and Christian faiths. The meetings are being led by the Grand Mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mustafa Ceric, and the head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, ANSA reported. About 60 delegates fo the two faiths …

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 4, 2008 (Zenit.org) – The first seminar organized by the newly established Catholic-Muslim Forum began today on the theme “Love of God, Love of Neighbor.” The group, with 29 representatives per creed, was established by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and representatives of the 138 Muslim leaders who sent an open letter to Benedict XVI and …

VATICAN CITY (UCAN) – The first seminar held by the Catholic-Muslim Forum has begun at the Vatican, inspired by the shared conviction that there will be no peace in the world without peace between Muslims and Christians. The Nov. 4-6 seminar brings together 58 Catholic and Muslim religious authorities, experts and advisors, 29 from each side. The forum has its …

Muslim and Vatican officials are holding historic talks in Rome to establish a better inter-faith dialogue and defuse any future tensions. Catholic-Muslim ties soured after Pope Benedict XVI’s speech in 2006, in which he linked Muslims with past violence. The speech provoked Muslim outrage and triggered violent protests. It also prompted leading Muslim scholars to launch an appeal to the …

Over the next three days, the Vatican is playing host to a meeting of the minds between 24 Catholic theologians and 24 Islamic theologians. The aim is to ease the tensions between the two religions. “Love of God, Love of Neighbour” is the theme of this first Catholic-Muslim Forum. Points for discussion include shared theological and spiritual foundations, human dignity …

But rather than a grand theologian’s invitation to tea, Muslims around the world took the Pope’s discourse — a probing and sometimes blunt analysis of reason’s role in religion that included a denigrating historical reference to Mohammed — as a monumental slap in the face. The Pope’s defenders argued that some of the more radical reactions to the speech, including …

This week, 48 Muslim and Catholic theologians meet in Rome, to find common ground between their two great faiths. The approach of the Common Word initiative is to find areas of shared belief – a love of God, love of one’s neighbour – in order to generate the goodwill and mutual respect that might allow a practical working together to …

In a historic meeting of the world’s two largest faiths, Vatican and Islamic scholars opened the first Catholic-Muslim forum in a bid to improve relations. The three-day meeting in Rome stems from Pope Benedict’s 2006 speech implying that Islam was violent and irrational. In response, 138 invited Christian churches to a new dialogue to foster mutual respect through a better …

In an attempt to improve relations with the Islamic world, the Vatican opened a three-day Catholic-Muslim seminar on Tuesday. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who is presiding over the meeting, said it marked “a new chapter” in Vatican-Muslim relations. Two years ago, Pope Benedict XVI offended some Muslims when he quoted a medieval …

VATICAN CITY—In a bid to improve strained Catholic-Muslim relations, the Vatican hosted scholars, imans and clerics from both religions Tuesday as it opened a three-day religious conference. The forum aimed to counter the effects of a speech two years ago by Pope Benedict XVI that angered many in the Islamic world. The meetings will culminate in a papal audience and …

When 138 senior Muslim scholars and clergy tried to establish the common ground between Islam and Christianity last year, they said the very peace of the world hung on the outcome. On Tuesday, a high-ranking delegation is beginning a rare visit to Rome in an effort to persuade the Pope to endorse what they say are the shared origins and …

Papal officials, Islamic leaders and scholars began a historic summit in the Vatican yesterday, aimed at laying the foundations for better understanding between Catholics and Muslims, and averting future crises in relations between the world’s biggest religions. The three-day meeting is a direct outcome of the Muslim reaction to the Pope’s controversial address in 2006 in which he appeared to …

VATICAN CITY (AFP) — The Vatican’s first-ever Catholic-Muslim forum kicks off Tuesday, two years after Pope Benedict XVI sparked outrage among Muslims for a speech seen as linking Islam with violence. The three-day forum opens “a new chapter in the long history” of dialogue between the two faiths, the head of the Catholic delegation, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, told the French …

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world’s two largest faiths by discussing what unites and divides them. The three-day meeting comes two years after Pope Benedict angered the Muslim world with a speech implying Islam was violent and irrational. In response, 138 Muslim scholars invited …

The meeting has its origin in the “Letter of the 138.” Under examination, the theological and spiritual foundations spoken of in the document by the Muslims, but also the dignity of the person and mutual respect, important to the Christian world. Vatican City (AsiaNews) – “Love of God, love of neighbor” is the theme of the first seminar organized by …